This week’s theme
Words that have changed

This week’s words
ingenuous
specious
purblind
feisty
officious

This week’s comments
AWADmail 728

Next week’s theme
Reduplicatives

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A.Word.A.Day

PRONUNCIATION:

(o-FISH-uhs)

MEANING:

adjective:
1. Excessively eager in offering unwanted or unneeded advice or help.
2. Acting in pompous or domineering manner, especially in trivial matters.

ETYMOLOGY:

Earlier, someone officious was dutiful or helpful. Over time, the word acquired a negative sense. From Latin officiosus (dutiful), from officium (service). Earliest documented use: 1487.

USAGE:

“Zimmerman, wearing a banker’s collar and projecting an officious air into the room, continued.”
Sonia Smith; Unfriendly Climate; Texas Monthly (Austin); May 2016.

See more usage examples of officious in Vocabulary.com’s dictionary.

A THOUGHT FOR TODAY: